Apprentice Diaz to ride at Monmouth
Seven-pound apprentice rider Hector Diaz Jr. will begin riding at Monmouth Park on Friday, according to his New York agent, Tim Micallef.
Diaz has been based in New York since he started out in November. He is 26 for 271, a win average of 9 percent, with all but one of his wins coming at either Belmont Park or Aqueduct. Diaz will be represented by agent Shawn Klotz at Monmouth.
The plan is to build up Diaz’s business at Monmouth and then return to New York following Labor Day weekend.
“He’s very talented and a hard worker,” Micallef said. “I want to get him rolling at Monmouth the way I think he can. After that, it's bug central here, and I think we can finish the year real strong. You only get the bug once, and I'd like him to have a chance to win the Eclipse Award.”
Diaz has two mounts Friday at Monmouth. He rides for trainer Tim Hills in race 2 and for Oscar Barrera III in race 4.